▲ Red Sea shipping route
Iran has further intensified pressure on key energy transport routes in the Middle East.
According to Iran's semi-official Mehr News Agency, Esmail Qaani, commander of the Quds Force, the elite unit of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, stated on his social media on June 8 (local time) that "from the Strait of Hormuz to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea, there will be a new security belt of resistance."
Commander Qaani emphasized that "the heroic actions of Yemen demonstrate the outstanding capabilities of the resistance front," adding that "others will join if necessary."
Iran's theocratic regime uses terms such as "Axis of Resistance" or "resistance forces" when referring to proxy groups like the Houthis, a pro-Iranian armed group in Yemen.
Commander Qaani warned that "warriors without borders are watching," and that "the evil acts of the Zionist regime (Israel) and the United States in this region will be met with a response from a unified resistance front."
These remarks came at a time when the Houthis have launched missile attacks on Israel and declared they would block the passage of Israeli ships in the Red Sea.
Consequently, this is being interpreted as a warning that Iran intends to control major energy transport routes by actively mobilizing the Houthis, who possess the geopolitical advantage to directly threaten the Red Sea.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, pointed out by Commander Qaani, is one of the major chokepoints for global maritime transport, much like the Strait of Hormuz.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a strategic chokepoint connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, with its narrowest point measuring only about 26 kilometers wide.
According to global supply chain reports from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, about 12% of global maritime trade passes through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), 10% of global energy shipments pass through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
In late February of this year, immediately after the war broke out following attacks between the U.S. and Iran, Iran effectively blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, located in its south.
According to the EIA, before the war, 25% of global seaborne crude oil trade and 20% of liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade were passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Euronews analyzed that if the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Strait of Hormuz are threatened simultaneously, one-third of the world's seaborne oil and gas transport would be affected.
The outlet pointed out that the Houthi's involvement in the maritime blockade has "resulted in putting two of the world's most important maritime chokepoints at risk."
Reuters noted that the Red Sea, which had been used as an alternative route due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz following the outbreak of the Iran war, is now also under threat.
The news agency reported that Saudi Arabia, the largest oil producer in the Middle East, has been shipping 70% of its average daily crude oil exports through Yanbu on the Red Sea, which has served as a lifeline for the energy market. It assessed that "if the Houthi rebels continue to disrupt maritime transport in the Red Sea or attack ships and ports, it could become a major problem."
Reported by Yu Deok-gi | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.